INRC Forum: Arto Nurmikko

Abstract: Our lab is developing tools for brain-machine interfaces using a concept of spatially distributed wireless microsensors, “neurograins” implanted in a functional cortical area of interest (motor, auditory, visual). When a given sensor detects a spiking event, the signal is immediately sent to an external radio-frequency receiver as a binary “1”. Thus, for a network of thousand neurograins, one goal of an ongoing research project, the received data at the external detector is a stream of spikes in which the cortical computations of interest are embedded. Based on our work on smaller ensembles (hundred neurograins), we have discovered a major computational bottleneck in detecting and decoding signals for large ensembles of neurograins for a real-time (wearable/portable brain-interface systems. In this work, we explore and apply the Loihi platform to integrate the demodulation (time-series correlation) and neural population decoding (spike-timing based model) steps into one parallel process.

Bio: Prof. Arto Nurmikko is a L. Herbert Ballou University Professor of Engineering and Physics at Brown. He recived his degrees from University of California, Berkeley, and did postdoctoral work at the Hebrew University (Jerusalem) and MIT. Prof. Nurmikko’s research spans the areas of neuroengineering, photonics, microelectronics, nanosciences, and the translation of device research to new technologies in physical and life science applications. Currently, his research interests are focused on implantable neural interfaces.

For the meeting link, see the full INRC Forum Spring 2023 Schedule (accessible only to INRC Affiliates and Fully Engaged Members).